What to know
- Vince Carter surprised Kyle Lowry with an unexpected FaceTime call during his retirement ceremony.
- The Hall of Famer congratulated Lowry as he officially retired after a 20-year NBA career.
- Lowry signed a ceremonial one-day contract to retire as a Toronto Raptor, the franchise where he won the 2019 NBA championship.
- The moment brought together two Raptors legends whose careers helped shape the team’s history and basketball’s growth in Canada.
Kyle Lowry’s retirement ceremony featured one final surprise.
As the Raptors legend reflected on his 20-year NBA career Tuesday, Basketball Hall of Famer Vince Carter interrupted the ceremony with an unexpected FaceTime call to congratulate him, prompting smiles and laughter from Lowry as two of the franchise’s most iconic players shared a moment together.
Carter congratulated Lowry on his career and the legacy he leaves behind, sharing a lighthearted exchange that drew smiles from the retired guard during an already emotional day.
Although the pair played in different eras, both left lasting marks on the Raptors franchise and basketball in Canada. It showed the connection between two players whose careers helped define different chapters of Raptors history.
Carter’s arrival in Toronto in 1998 helped ignite basketball’s popularity across Canada, while Lowry later led the Raptors to their first NBA championship in 2019. Together, their careers represent two defining chapters in franchise history. The respect between them was evident throughout the exchange.
Earlier Tuesday, Lowry signed a ceremonial one-day contract to retire as a Toronto Raptor, bringing his 20-year NBA career to a close. During his nine seasons in Toronto, he became the franchise’s all-time leader in assists and helped deliver its first NBA championship..
The surprise call added another memorable moment to a day filled with tributes, as one Raptors legend congratulated another on a career that helped shape the franchise’s history.
It was a fitting meeting of two Raptors legends: one who helped ignite basketball in Canada, and another who helped bring the country’s first NBA championship home.
